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Topic: amateur movie making advic plz

Ok so me and few friends decided to have a little fun with trying to make a amateur horror movie. Ya its not gonna be good but were doing this for fun and I decided what a better place to get help than here.

What we need help with is the hard stuff like effects and what not. Were looking to do everything withprops but i was wondering if anbody knew of any personnal experience, books, websites, or just plain anything that can help us out with effects, maybe advice n script writing. Only reason im asking so much advice is just cause were new to this.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

thnx alot greg this should help and its free which is good. and tim does FX mean effects? srry, im not good with abbreviations..if it does im thinking more like the gore and stuff that we will need help with..im only the script writer so i dotn know alot about that stuff.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

I would be able to perhaps give you better tips and advice if I knew what kind of movie you were making, I understand it is horror; but the effects in a zombie movie aren't like the effects in a slasher movie aren't like the effects in ghost stories if you know what I mean.

If you help me out with a pliot, perhaps I can help you out with some better advice.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

lol thnx blackthing..glad i now know what FX means..and on the plot me and my friend havent gotte very far with it..were meeting up this weekend so if u check back sometime then or maybe before ill keep u posted on it

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

your best bet is to write a story/script within your budget and means. Whaqt I mean by that is don't write a zombie flick that requires 100 extras when you have five friends and a budget under $100. Do something small at first, a kidnapping gone wrong, a stalker film, or the first date from hell (literally) something that you can do in one or two locations and with minimal staff. There are a few things that can make or break a small film, sound and camera work are the two i suggest you work on. have good music and dialog that fit the feel of your film. Try different camera angels, use close ups for the gore shots (it will save you time and money). Again it's easier to fit a film to a budget than to find a budget for your film.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

I don't know if this is a good idea or not but since I'm looking for the same kind of info I will share my idea. It's really simple.

While working in the script and getting every single detail ready. You should do experiments. Trying different camera angles for the same thing and find out what it is that you can do better and maybe restrict the script a little bit. So you don't have to waste days and lots of money in finding out if it can be done o not.

Try different bloods, different wounds. Check the lighting for certain kind of shots so by the time of real filming you know exactly what to do. If you're gonna use CGI or something, try doing it with a same video.

At least that what I think would be a good place to start since you don't have a script or anything.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

For screenwriting, I would suggest getting a screenwriting software, if you don't already have one. I use celtx, which is FREE and is really easy to use. You can also convert it to a pdf. file for free. I'd check it out.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

man u guys are the best...this is why this site kicks ass more than any other...all this info is awesome and ill be using it all definetily...once i get started whic should be within the next few weeks ill keep u guys updated

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

Although FX are important in your film, make sure cinematography is a bigger priority, then acting, story, then FX.

One thing to keep in mind is people can forgive so-so FX if the cinematography, story and acting are good. There are plenty of websites that discuss make-up FX, and how to do them properly however, what type of FX are you trying to pull off? It would be easier to point you in the right direction if the type of FX are known.

Just remember though, don't waste all your money and time on FX. Make sure it goes into the areas that count (see above).

Here is another piece of advice, and something I hate about some low budget films... Hanging on an FX shot too long! At this level of filmmaking (anything under $100,000) you should be making effective FX but quick cuts during the edit. Some people want to showcase their FX and thats cool, but when you hang on a shot of someone's open stomach for too long the purpose of the effect isn't acheived and then it becomes laughable. It is better too cut away fast, but when making the edit look for the most impactful moment of the effect.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

ummm i think thats somethingud have to shop around for...i mean im not the one filming here....im just organizing everything and writing the script...i would jst shop around....go to some electronic stores and see if u can price out sothing that is i your range of what you can afford and need for the filing...hope this helps

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

I was serching for something on barnsandnoble.com and came accross this book. It looks fun and is on topic in this forum. I think I'll pick this up when I'm not so busy.

All I Need to Know about Filmmaking I Learned from the Toxic Avenger: The shocking True Story of Troma Studiosby Lloyd Kaufman, James Gunn PaperbackISBN: 0425163571

From the PublisherThis is the true story of the moviemaking maverick who co-founded an independent studio twenty-five years ago in a humble broom closet... who used raw hamburger, Karo syrup blood, and Bromo-Seltzer vomit to create films of questionable artistic and moral value...who battled the MPAA rating board to bring his outrageous vision to the screen...who rejected Madonna after an audition...who defied the Hollywood system and slapped the face of the industry...and who built a B-movie empire filled with Chopper Chicks, Surf Nazis, Kabuki Cops, Nymphoid Barbarians, and a lone hero known as The Toxic Avenger. This is the story of Troma Studios. A story of guerilla filmmaking at its cheapest, of the American Dream torn limb from limb, and of topless starlets menaced by obscene rubber puppets.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

Finding a good camera depends on your budget.

If you have $3500 I recommend the Panasonic DVX-100. Best bang for the buck. Don't worry about umping HD right away because it will be sometime before consumers can afford the DVD players to properly see the HD content.

Re: amateur movie making advic plz

With less than $1,000.00 you are in a tight spot. You might look for a used Canon GL-1 that would be a decent start. Panasonic has a few pro-sumer cams you could look at as well. Best thing to do is save the cash or learn how to get credit real quick.